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Fathers and Sons
Episode 4, Season 4 of War. Enjoy! Fathers and Sons "This was a bad idea," Gorsefur meows. He tries to turn around and I step in his path. I don't need to say anything- he sighs, and turns back. Riverkit dances impatiently beside us. "This wouldn't be so hard if you'd talked to them earlier like you planned," I muttered. "You had just run off to who knows where, yowling about how FireClan had some evil plan to disrupt the treaties they started! What was I supposed to do, just keep on going to my parents?" "FireClan did have an evil plan." I mutter. I look at him, more serious. "Gorsefur, I know what it's like to...to lose parents. Please don't take your parents for granted." He looks somber and nods. We've stopped walking and he looks ahead at the den before us. It looks like the ones in front of, behind, to the sides of it- briar branches woven and some ivy climbing around it. A few wildflowers bloom outside. Gorsefur is obviously reluctant, and I'm abut to nudge him again when two cats pad out of the den. The brown tabby she-cat reminds me of my mother and I feel a pang. But her eyes are a warm brown and she has no white coloring. The tom, however, could be Gorsefur's clone, except for his eyes which are a stormy gray-blue. They don't see us for a moment. But then the she-cat's eyes drift over and widen slightly. "Gorsefur?" she murmurs, as if in a dream. "Mom," he whispers. She pads forward, but he seems rooted to the ground. I give him a little nudge and he looks at me with terrified golden eyes. I nod and he turns back to the parents he abandoned. "We missed you," his mother says. I see tears running down her cheeks, but she doesn't sob. "I'm so sorry," Gorsefur meows. "I just-" "They told us," his father says, padding forward. His eyes are unreadable and I feel slightly uneasy. "How Stormpaw was killed. You didn't come home." Gorsefur looks at his paws and I want to rush up in his defense. But this is something he has to do alone. "You didn't come home," his father continues, voice getting louder. "You left us with your brother's body and not a word of explanation!" "I was angry at myself and confused and ashamed, I'm so-" "Three seasons." his father yowls. He seems to calm down, his sides heaving. "Three." Gorsefur's mother doesn't seem to want to intervene. She stays beside him, but her eyes are betrayed and sorrowful. Gorsefur looks lost. "He was fighting," the words fly out of my mouth before I remember I'm supposed to act neutral. But this is far to painful and awkward. "He was fighting," I repeat. "Against the monsters who took Stormpaw away from you. And I know he didn't talk to you which," I glare at Gorsefur. "Was stupid, but he thought he was doing the right thing." "And you are?" his mother says faintly. "Brookfall. I'm...in his squad." Riverkit glares at me and I sigh. "And this is Riverkit." "Oh Gorsefur," his mother sighs. "He looks just like your father's father!" "Erm...what?" Gorsefur looks stunned. "You know, your grandfather? Blue eyes, his fur was a little darker though." "We're not..." I look at Gorsefur. "Riverkit's not-" "He and I don't-" "It's-" "No way-" "I'm her brother!" Riverkit exclaims. We all look at him and he rolls his eyes. "Great StarClan!" "Riverkit!" I scold, ears hot. I turn back to Gorsefur's parents. "He's my brother," I repeat. "Our mother...I come from Summerstorm. And our parents died in the attack. Riverkit's only a moon old." Gorsefur's mother pads over to Riverkit, sniffing him over. "Where have you been having him stay?" "With us," I meow. She gives me a look of shock. "That's why I came to see you," Gorsefur says quietly. "To ask you if you would take him in. I know it's a lot, but he's sweet and I-" "Of course!" his mother purrs, giving Riverkit a lick on the head. Riverkit looks at her with huge blue eyes and she practically melts. "Right, Eagletalon?" Gorsefur's father looks over Riverkit and his mate to Gorsefur, his eyes narrowed. He turns and vanishes back into the den. Gorsefur's mother takes a step after him, then turns back to us and Riverkit. "Gorsefur...your father is just upset. Why don't you go talk to him, and Brookfall and I will become acquainted?" Gorsefur nods and heads after his father, pausing beside his mother to give her an affectionate lick. We both stare after him. I'm not sure who is more worried. It had started out as a dream. They were all gathered around after having their day off and Adderscar was telling them about Thundercloud again. Stormflight had memorized the speech, memorized his father's life, memorized what had made the monster. "We found out a surprising amount abut Thundercloud." It was Adderscar's voice, though the dream world shifted so it was Thundercloud telling Stormflight about himself. "He was born in FireClan, obviously. He was Firestar's older brother, the dark shadow to his brother's perfection. He always had a fondness for playing with his food before he ate it, pushing kits, general indications of psychotic tendencies. When Firestar was taken as the current Firestar's apprentice, Thundercloud was able to begin working towards becoming a general. However..." Stormflight's mother danced into the picture. Her long silver fur was neat and her green eyes were lively and mischievous. Stormflight wanted to reach out for her, but he was frozen in place. "Thundercloud fell in love. Or at least, he thought he did. I doubt he can love. Anyways, he fell in love with Stormflight's mother, Streamsong, a WaterClan she-cat. Which was unfortunate, because she was betrothed to another tom. However, she and Thundercloud made it work and we have Stormflight as the result. However, when our little warrior was just a kit, his mother was killed. Which is where it gets interesting- Streamsong was killed- apparently accidentally- by her betrothed, who was none of than..." Stormflight tried to shriek a warning as the scene changed, his father, his mother, and the dark tom who Stormflight envisioned as her betrothed, all stood before a cliff. The river rushed in his ears and his cry was lost as the dark tom rushed at Thundercloud. Streamsong got in the way and, though the dark tom cried out, reached for her, she flew over the edge of the cliff. Stormflight had been just a kit. Stormflight had seen it all. "...our very own Badgerstrike." That was when he woke. His nest was sweat-drenched and he found his breathing was rapid. He rolled out of the den, padding away from the slumbering members of his squad. He padded to the river that ran through Main and dunked his head underwater, trying to get the last remnants of the nightmare out of his head. When he pulled his head out, water streaming into his eyes, he thought he saw a glimpse of white. Using his paws to dry his eyes, he blinked. Dark amber eyes. Scarcely knowing what he was doing, he had leapt the river and padded towards the forest. Snowflight stood there. The last time he had scene her they'd been a whisker-length apart, and she'd told him to leave. He was sure he wasn't dreaming anymore, but it felt like it. Wordlessly, she turned and padded into he forest. He followed her, hissing, "What are you doing?" She led him on for a few moments before answering. "My two warriors recovered, thanks to your herbs. Guess you're a real FireClan cat now." She said it almost sarcastically and he was surprised by the show of emotion. She seemed...off...tonight. Unhappy, almost. Could she be unhappy? Or was it an act? Why am I following her? "Where are we going?" he asked. "Why would you even bring the herbs? That's what I keep coming around to." she didn't look back, didn't stop walking. "What kind of a WaterClan warrior gives FireClan cats herbs? Especially FireClan cats who are responsible for almost killing his friend?" "I dunno!" Stormflight meowed, annoyed to find that he was having difficulty keeping up with her. "I just...I guess I feel bad for you." That did stop Snowflight. She reeled on him, eyes burning. "You what?" "Your sister is just so mean and you were obviously brainwashed by Thundercloud as a kit and you really seem to care about your Clan which I think is good and where are we going." Snowflight sobered, all the anger vanishing from her face to be replaced with...something. Something that wasn't sadness or regret, but... Guilt? "You didn't," he gasped, backing up a step. "Why did you follow me?" she whispered. Stormflight turned, only to realize he was staring into blue eyes. "Well done, Snowflight," Thundercloud praised. "Dad!" Gorsefur found his father behind the den, prowling around the small practice area they had. His father didn't look up, "What do you want me to say?" "You almost killed your mother," his father growled, slashing at a sapling. "Almost killed me too." "I was stupid and angry and confused. It doesn't make it right, but-" "And you're coming back now because...you want to make up with us? No. You need someone to kitsit." "I-" "And you haven't even told us about Stormpaw." "It's-" "You didn't even come to his funeral." "Because I watched him die!" Gorsefur exploded. Eagletalon stopped circling and looked at his son. "I watched my little brother die in front of me because I was too stupid to know he would go after FireClan cats. I was too stupid to know they'd go after him too, even though he was an apprentice. And I was too stupid to know what to do with all the guilt, so I ran away, and every day I live with that knowledge. I wake up knowing it was my fault and go to sleep blaming myself. So, even though you have every right in the world to hate me, I don't want to hear about it from you." Gorsefur turned and stormed away, blinded by the rage he felt. The rage directed, not at his father, who gaped after him, but at himself for even thinking he deserved forgiveness. Stormflight stared at his father, then turned to look at Snowflight. She looked guilty and he was, for once, sure it wasn't an act. "How could you?" he growled. She didn't answer, and he realized the worst part was that he still would have followed her. Realized that if she asked him to come back to FireClan with them, he would think about it. He had been enchanted by this strange she-cat, and her spell would see him through. "Stormflight, son," Thundercloud meowed. "Stay away from me," Stormflight hissed, backing away. "And don't call me that." Thundercloud rolled his eyes. "Here I am, making an effort to talk to you without the use of manipulation and you're scorning me." Stormflight looked at Snowflight, then back to his father. "Okay, so some manipulation was involved." Thundercloud admitted. "Uhuh. I'm very grateful you didn't, oh, threaten to torture anyone I care about, but I'm not interested in a little reunion." "Stormflight," Thundercloud sighed. He sounded tired, and maybe that was what stopped Stormflight. Or maybe it was those dark amber eyes he kept seeing, even when he closed his eyes. "I want a son. Not to take to Firestar to show off, not to threaten and belittle. I want you because you are my flesh and blood. And you remind me of your mother." "Don't you dare," Stormflight whispered. "Stormflight, please." Thundercloud meowed. "Let me show you that you don't have to be alone." Shadowsong lying in a pool of blood. Gorsefur choking. Grayleaf looking at him with wide eyes. Oakclaw bleeding. "I'm not alone. All you've done is killed and try to kill the cats I do care about. And I know eventually you'll hunt them down anyways, so I think I'll pass on being on your side when it happens." Stormflight walked away, surprised Thundercloud didn't try to stop him. "If you walk away," Thundercloud threatened, voice low. "I will come after you with a vengeance. You will have cut me, but I will make you bleed." Stormflight turned slowly. His eyes met Snowflight's, then shifted to Thundercloud. "I'm looking forward to it." He started to walk away again. "And don't bother sending Snowflight again. That won't work." The thing that perhaps hurt the most, over Thundercloud's threats and Snowflight's lies, was his own betrayal. That he would sacrifice himself and his friends to follow a pretty she-cat into the darkness. That he would do it again. I watch Riverkit. Gorsefur appears beside me. "He'll be happy." "I know. I'll just miss the little bugger." "We can visit." Gorsefur gives me an easy smile that fades. "Or, maybe, you can visit. I have a feeling I'm not welcome." I look at him sadly. "That bad?" "Worse." I press against him and we watch Riverkit dive past Gorsefur's mother, laughing. She looks alive, happy. I'm glad, if I have to leave my brother somewhere, it's somewhere like this. "Riverkit?" He looked up and something in his eyes deflated. He toddles over and, wordlessly, I wrap him up in my tail, crushing him against me. His tears leak onto my fur and mine drench his. "Be brave," I whisper. "Come visit," he begs. "I promise. And I'll bring you something." His eyes light up and he scampers off to tell Gorsefur's mother. I watch him, taking a calming breath as the last part of my family goes off to the last part of Gorsefur's. Happy endings, I suppose. We turn to go, both reluctantly. "Gorsefur!" We turn to see his father pelting towards us. Eagletalon skids to a halt, his eyes unreadable once again. He and Gorsefur have the same stubborn set to their chins and I recognize the family trait. "Come visit. We have a lot to talk about." It's not an acceptance or an apology, but it's something. Gorsefur nods and we turn, almost running into Oakclaw. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Come on- we have a mission! And I took it, so I get to be second, right?" Gorsefur purrs and pads over to Oakclaw. I turn and look at Riverkit. He waves his stubby tail at me and tackles Eagletalon's paw. The big tom rumbles a purr and shows him a hunting crouch. I turn and race after my squadmates. Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics